Until I Find You
by MajandraNova
Summary: In a run against time the team is trying to find Saras location out in desert before it is too late. In the meantime Grissom muses about his Sara. GSR.
1. Brass

**Until I find you **

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer:** Okay, out and loud: I DO NOT OWN CSI!

**Spoilers**: Living Doll

**Summary:** In a run against time the team is trying to find Saras location out in desert before it is too late. GSR.

**A/N:** Okay, I have all these ideas in my head so Chapter 2 is already on it's way. But please review anyway.

Oh, and before I forget to mention, I am not from the US and I have never been there. So everything I might be saying about the Nevada desert is completely fictional. I have no idea how it looks there.

And for the geeklovers out there, the following chapters will include more GSR. If Tragedy or Romance, well, won't tell you yet. You'll have to read and see.

* * *

Brass pulled up his car to the house. He wouldn't enter it. They had already searched it, there was nothing useful inside. She'd been careful not to leave any trace behind. As if she had known when and where they would catch her. 

His eyes attentively searched the neighbourhood. It was peaceful, quiet. Nothing hinted to the psychopath that lived in the alley. But that's how it usually was. The most insane and dangerous persons lived right among us, unrecognized.

Brass quickly shook off this thought. He needed to focus now on his task. Find any useful connection that would lead them from this neighbourhood to the abandoned car in the desert.

After talking two three housewives, one Spanish speaking nanny, two teenagers and a single dad Brass knew that Natalie had always been friendly to everybody but had kept her distance. Nobody knew details about her. But the people managed to find out that she had been dating a "construction, or maybe it was a maintenance" guy lately. Other than that the outcome of his questioning was rather poor and Brass was already tired when he knocked on his last door. A friendly, very chatty old lady opened.

"Good Afternoon, my name is Jim Brass, I am with the Las Vegas …." He didn't make it any further in his standard introduction because the eager lady had already been watching him.

"Yes. Yes. I know. You are asking questions about Natalie. I am sure I can tell you some useful things about her. But tell me first, would you like some coffee or tea?"

Oh, Jim knew this kind of old lady all too well. They spend all their time behind curtains watching their neighbours and when something happened they gladly told the police. Not only for the sake of helping but also for the company.

"Madam, your offer is very kind, but I just had coffee. So, thank you." If he accepted her offer, he'd probably not leave the house for another hour or so.

"Are you sure? Or maybe you would like some cookies? I have some delicious chocolate cookies."

"No, thank you. I also don't want cookies. But thank you for your kind offer. Now could we please come back to Natalie. You said you had some useful information regarding your neighbour."

"Yes, yes, indeed."

"Could you then, please, share this information with me?" Brass was beginning to lose his patience. Normally he was a master in dealing with nasty old ladies but now, with the thought of the car out in the desert, he got more and more nervous.

"Well, as the other neighbours might have told you, Natalie has been dating a young guy for some time now. Did the others tell you about this?"

"Yes, they told me about him." Breath in. Breath out. Stay calm. "Do you, by any chance, know his name?"

"So the others didn't know his name?" She did seem to find some kind of satisfaction in that. "Well, I don't know his name either. But what I do know is" and with that she leaned in closer to Brass "that he works for one of those towing services."

While the old lady seemed to enjoy her big moment, Brass let the information sink in. Towing Service. That was a start. Good.

"Ma'am, do you remember the name of the company?"

"I can't seem to remember."

She was playing with him, Brass could tell. All he needed to do was make her feel important enough.

"Please try to remember, madam. You would make a huge contribution to an ongoing investigation if you just remembered the name of the company."

"Aw, let me think. King something. King Frank Towing Service. That's it. Now I remember. He had it on the back of his jumpsuit."

After that Jim broke off the conversation as fast, and politely, as he could. He needed to get the information to the others.

* * *

_A hand. So small. A miniature. A perfect replica of the slender perfectness that is your hand. _

_I can't believe that only days ago I held your warm fingers between mine and now I am staring at these tiny copies. _

_Were you ever aware of how I stared at your_ _hands? How I admired and adored them? _

_At work you could take apart whole cars with big hammers or set together filigree pieces of a puzzle with your wonderful hands._

_And at home, oh, what you did at home with those hands. Once I let you come close to me you worked miracles on my skin with your fingers. Slowly stroked over my face, massaged my shoulders and back and let a firm grip over my butt show your possession. In most intimate moments you clenched my curls, with which you had been softly playing just minutes before, with both hands, then putting your index finger seductively on my lips to remind me of the silence just before running it in sheer tease down my body to just another part of my body that responds so well to your hands. _

_Oh, your hands. Compared to mine they are so small but yet they are so strong._

_And now these very hands are lying somewhere in the desert, in the pouring rain. Helpless. _

_And all I can do is stare at a miniature of your hand. Your adorable hand._

_God. I need to find you._


	2. Nick

**Until**** I find you**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer:** Okay, out and loud: I DO NOT OWN CSI!

**Spoilers**: Living Doll

**Summary:** In a run against time the team is trying to find Saras location out in desert before it is too late. GSR.

**A/N:** Just a two notes:

1) Sorry for my mistakes. I do my best but I do realize that there are probably still many mistakes in the story. Plus, yesterday realization struck me. I have a terrible mixture of British and American English. Sorry. I eventually have to work on that.

2) At the moment I still have the time to write new chapters quite frequently because I have a lot of free time at work. Tomorrow is my last day at work, though, so I don't know if I can keep up the pace after that. But I'll try and finish the story before the new episode airs (and we all can't wait for that to happen, can we?).

* * *

Nick closed his phone with the hint of a smile on his face. At least they had a lead now. It wasn't much but they had to hold onto the smallest thing. 

He threw the kit in the trunk of his car and quickly made his way out of the garage and into the Las Vegas traffic.

After a short ride he arrived at the address Brass had given him only minutes before. Blinking and shining brightly a huge sign announced

**King Frank Towing Service**

Nick turned into the parking lot and got out of the car. Brass had talked to the manager of the towing service that had agreed to let the CSI have a look around and answer some questions. That same manager seemed to come in Nicks direction right now. Who else would be waving at him anyway?

"Hi, I am Nick Stokes, I am with the Las Vegas Crime Lab." He shook the damp hand of the mid-forty man in front of him.

"Simon Webb. I am the manager. I spoke to Captain Jim Brass on the phone earlier. If I understood him right, this is about one of my employees. He didn't tell me which one of them is in trouble, though."

Nick quickly explained to him that they didn't know the name but he gave him the vague description Brass had managed to get out of Natalies neighbours. Webb nodded.

"You do realize that this is a rather sketchy description of the guy you are looking for?"

Before Nick could answer to that somewhat rhetorical question the man continued.

"Well, look, from the description you have given me I wouldn't necessarily conclude to this guy but under the given circumstances …"

"What circumstances?"

"The employee I am thinking of, Joshua Brown, didn't come to work the last couple of days."

That one caught Nicks attention immediately but he didn't want to get his hopes up too high.

"And that is unusual for Mr. Brown?"

The second he pronounced the question he regretted it. The manager of "King Frank Towing Service" seemed really offended.

"I don't know what kind of working moral you people working for the state have but here, in my company, the employees show up when they are scheduled for work."

Nick lifted his arms in defence.

"Sorry. Sorry. No offence. I had to ask that question. Just to make sure."

Webb growled something into his moustache but then decided to get back to friendlier terms. It was obvious that he didn't want to get into any trouble with the police.

"Anyway, Mr. Brown didn't show up the last couple of days but his tow-car is right there, if you want to take a look at it." He pointed at a certain tow-car in a row of others. "I don't think you will find anything useful in it, though, because Brown seems to have cleaned the car after his last shift. All clean and neat. If you ask me, he exaggerated a little bit with the bleach."

While Webb shook his had in disapproval about the excessive use of bleach, Nick nearly jumped at the mere sound of the word, and its possible meaning.

Nick was disappointed. The manager had been right. The tow-car was as clean as a new one. Too clean, as a matter of fact. The only thing he could take of the car was dirt from underneath the tires. But that was a long shot. It could be from any prior use of the vehicle. But still it was worth a try. They had to grab every straw they could spot.

* * *

_Staring at this miniature I remember the uncounted times that I sat in bed worried that I would never catch this killer. That this time my adversary was really smarter than me, or you, or anybody I knew._

_The minute you entered the bedroom and saw my face, you always knew what was wrong with me. You would slowly come over to me, sit right in front of me and take my hands and fold them between yours. Just feeling the warmth of your hands slowly stroking mine would calm my upset mind down a little bit. Many times you would lift one hand to my face and gently caress all the parts of it. "Shush" you would say "Shush"._

_By that time my eyes would already be closed but even without reading in them you would have the perfect answer to the unspoken question. "He is not." You would never pronounce the rest of the sentence out lout but we both knew what you meant. He's not smarter than me._

_You were always so sure about that. I can't count the times you told me how amazing my mind is, how I am the most intelligent person you've ever known._

_And now I ask myself, why is it, if I am this amazingly brilliant person, that I can't figure out where you are? Why can't I rescue you?_

_You were so damn sure that I would catch the killer, that I would stop him, put him behind bars and you were right. The killer is in custody now. But the price I paid for it was too high, I paid with your safety. And I will pay with your life if I don't find you soon._

_And I keep asking myself what use is a brilliant mind if it doesn't have the right answers._

_A truly brilliant mind would know where to find you._

_I feel so useless._


	3. Greg

**Until I find you **

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: **I work in a multinational, powerful firm, yes, but as far as I know it's name is not CBS so, no, I don't own CSI.

**Spoilers:** Living Doll

**Summary: **In a run against time the team is trying to find Saras location out in desert before it is too late. GSR.

* * *

Greg was feeling useless. He wanted to help. He needed to help. His co-worker, his friend was somewhere out there in the desert trapped underneath a car and there seemed to be nothing he could do. 

The rest of the team was spread out all over Las Vegas hunting down the different pieces of the puzzle to find their friend and all he could do was sit in the lab and wait. Together they had agreed that Greg should stay in the lab in case there was any trace, or more important, his speciality, DNA to analyze. He had run a few tests but there were no big conclusions. This woman was good, she left no evidence. All she ever left behind was bleach and as much as he wanted to, Greg didn't get far with that.

While he was rolling back and forth with his chair restlessly he got a call. Eagerly he picked up the call. Maybe it meant work for him.

"Sanders."

"Yeah, I am in the lab. I'll run it as soon as it gets here."

"Sure. Bye."

Work. Finally. Nick seemed to have collected some trace of a tow-car and was sending it now over to him.

The evidence wouldn't arrive for another 20 minutes so Greg decided to take another look at the miniature of the crime scene. Who knew, he might get struck with an enlightening idea. As he made his way through the lab he couldn't help but wonder about the normality that seemed to rule in the building. Part of him was upset about it, but the other part understood that the usual business hadn't stopped for the others.

When he reached Grissoms office, where he knew he would find the miniature, he almost ran into the semi-dark room without knocking. In the last second he became aware of his boss actually being present in his own office, sitting there with dimmed lights, starring at the miniature. Grissom seemed so absorbed in his thoughts; Greg didn't want to disturb him. Apart from that he didn't really know what to say to Grissom. A shallow "I'm sure we'll find her" wouldn't do it but what was there else to say. Greg had no news to share.

As he turned on his heels an idea popped up in Gregs head. He would run Natalies DNA trough the system. Just for the heck of it. To see what the computer would spit out.

* * *

_I look at the miniature and I am struck by the size and weight the car must have in comparison to your body. In fact, it must be a lethal weight. But if anybody can survive this kind of pressure, you can__, because you are an amazingly strong woman._

_Looking at your past, everything that has happened to you in your childhood, it could have broken you, it could have made you ill and insane but instead it has turned you into this woman full of strength. And you never complain about what happened to you. I have met persons with much friendlier family histories blaming all their flaws and weaknesses on their parents, on their history, but not you, you are strong. You never complain._

_At work the most terrible things happen. We see the worst of mankind every day. Being in touch with the evil side of the human nature all the time is not for weak persons and many people give up along the way. Not you. Your strong will has decided long ago to fight against injustice and you keep on doing it every ay. Sometimes, when a case really gets to you, you need a moment of silence, but in the end you only leave work and come home stronger. _

_It often seemed to me that you carried the weight of your own and my worries alone on your shoulders. There were things nagging on you, too, but after a rough day you would just come and make ME feel better, make the bad things disappear._

_We even started this relationship with you being the stronger one. I was so afraid. Afraid of you. Afraid of love. Afraid of being hurt. But you took away all my fears. Little by little you lifted one fear after another from my shoulders and onto your own. And it never seemed to affect you. Your strength never decreased. On the contrary. It grew from minute to minute._

_I was in denial of my feelings for so long but your strong will carried on all these years waiting patiently for me. And when I finally found the courage to confess to you my love and at the same time told you that we could never make it through all the difficulties, it was you again who showed enough strength to convince us both that it could work between us, against all odds._

_I got to be the happiest man on earth with you, because of you, because you were strong enough to fight for us._

_You have the strength and will of a fighter. You can survive lying trapped underneath a car in the pouring desert rain._

_Now I have to borrow a little bit of your strength. I have to be strong for you. I have to find you. I can't allow myself the weakness that my heart is feeling. I just want to sit here and cry because I am so afraid but I know I cannot do that because I have to save you._

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, I've been very quick with the first three chapters but now, due to some changes in my life, it might take me some days to post the next chapter. So please be patient. And review, please!!!!! 


	4. Warrick

**Until I find you **

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own CSI.

**Spoilers:** Living Doll

**Summary:** In a run against time the team is trying to find Saras location out in desert before it is too late. GSR.

**A/N:** I am not too fond of this chapter. I took me forever to have an idea. So please forgive me if it is weaker than the other chapters.

I used some quotation marks in the Grissom part. These mark sentences I took out of the song "If tomorrow never comes" by Ronan Keating.

* * *

The vast desert spread out in front of Warricks eyes. A metallic shimmer at the horizon caught his attention. His heart started flattering and in a rush he got his binoculars out of the car. Disappointment struck him deeply when he realized that the object he was looking at was just another car wreck dumped in the Nevada desert. 

He ran a hand over his tired eyes and turned around to face yet another gas station. The past hours he had spent driving along the roads of the desert stopping only at the gas stations to ask if, in the last couple of days, a certain tow-car had been seen there. So far he didn't have any success.

As much as he wanted to go home and just sleep, he couldn't do that. He had to do his job. And he had to help finding his friend. If this meant that he had to drive to every gas station in the desert he would do it.

When he entered the station all he could hear was the sound of the TV. They were far out in the desert and business was slow there. So the guy working behind the counter had decided to watch television.

Only when Warrick was standing right in front of him and cleared his throat he directed his attention to the CSI.

"Yeah, how can I help you?" It was obvious that he wasn't too delighted to be disturbed while watching what appeared to be a sitcom.

"My name is Warrick Brown. I am with the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

The clerk gave him a so-what? look.

"We are investigating an abduction and we need to find out if a tow-car with this license plate was here in the last couple of days." He pulled out a paper with the license and showed it to the young man.

"I don't know if it was this tow-car because I didn't see the license plate but there certainly was one out here a few nights ago. We don't get to see many tow-cars out here, so that was already odd but what really was strange was that the driver was a woman. I mean, have you ever seen a female tow-car driver? Very strange."

Warrick felt like he was back in the game. But it could still be a coincidence. He needed to make sure they were talking about the same car. He pulled out a picture of Natalie.

"Was the driver by any chance this woman?"

The clerk took a good look at the picture, then nodded slowly.

"Well, it was dark and all, but yeah, I think it was that lady."

Jackpot. Or at least a beginning. Now they knew that Natalie had been on this road before or after she put Saras car out in the desert.

"Was she towing off a car when you saw her?"

"No, I don't think so."

Okay. That meant that Natalie had been here after she abandoned Sara in the desert. It was a little piece of information, but it was a start. At least they knew now in which direction of the desert the search would have to go.

And Warricks search wasn't over yet. He still had some gas stations on his list.

* * *

_Oh, gosh, I can't tell you how much I miss you. How much I love you._

_I literally can't tell you. I am just not able to share my feelings, not even with you. And with you of all people I want to share everything. My heart, my soul, my body._

_One of my biggest fears is that one day you will pack your bags and leave me because I never told you how much you mean to me._

_The truth is, I would understand it. I can't expect you and your love to be self-sufficient. Eventually being this emotional disaster that I am will come back to me._

_Honey, lying out there in the desert, do you think of me? Do you question my love and ask yourself if I am looking desperately for you?_

_God, if you take her away from me and to you, to a divine place,_

"_Would she ever doubt the way I feel about her in my heart_

_If tomorrow never comes_

_Will she know how much I loved her?"_

_And will love her forever?_

_I fear, no I am horrified by the thought that you'll go forever without knowing the true nature of my feelings. I couldn't live with that._

_And now the numerous situations that were perfect to tell you that I love you and I didn't do it repeat themselves in my head._

_What a fool I've been. The love of my life comes along, waits for me for uncounted years and finally pursues a relationship with me, a relationship that makes me happier than I have ever been and my reaction to all that is to keep my feelings to myself._

_And it's not that I don't feel. In my head, in my heart it's all very clear. You are the most wonderful, smart, beautiful, sexy and inspiring woman I have ever met. I love you more than anything else on this planet. To save you I would give my own life because living without you has become useless._

_But I never told you this._

"_Now I live with the regret that my true feelings for her never were revealed._

_So I made a promise to myself, to say each day how much she means to me._

_And avoid that circumstance where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel."_

_Because I keep my emotions to myself everybody thinks I am so cold and heartless. But you, of all people, shouldn't. I can't blame you if you do, though._

_In the end it turns out that I am not that heartless after all. You should see me now. For the first time in my adult life I am crying._

_I am crying because I miss you so much._

_I am crying because my love for you is almost tearing my heart apart._

_I am crying because I've been such an idiot and never shared my feelings with you._

_I am crying because it might be too late to do so._

"_Did I try in every way, to show her every day that she's my only one?"_

_No, I didn't. _

_But honey, I love you. I will find you and I will tell you how much I love you. I will tell you a million times and then again._

_I.LOVE.YOU._


	5. Catherine

**Until I Find You**

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer:** CSI is not mine.

**Spoilers**: Living Doll

**Summary:** In a run against time the team is trying to find Saras location out in desert before it is too late. GSR.

**A/N:** Readers, we are getting closer. But I am not telling you how many chapters there are still missing (I am trying not to be influenced by that heartbreaking new trailer, I promise). As for the usual, sorry for the mistakes and please, please, review. And for my fellow GSR shippers: Grissoms part is a little different in this chapter, you'll see.

* * *

Catherine had made a decision. She would talk to Natalie. It would probably be totally useless, but it was worth a try.

Maybe from woman to woman she could talk some sense into that psycho.

The police officers brought Natalie into the interrogation room before Catherine came so the woman waited patiently for the CSI. She had nothing more to lose.

Catherine entered the room and sat down on the opposite side of the table. She had thought a thousand times about what to say. Over and over again she had role-played the conversation in her mind but in the end she had decided to just go with her gut feeling. Natalie would notice it if she held on to a script in her head. The talk had to be natural, and friendly. With screaming at Natalie, or threatening her she would reach absolutely nothing. So she would be friendly.

"Hi Natalie. I thought we should have a little talk. From one woman to another woman."

No response. Natalie just watched her attentively.

"Can I ask you a question? I am really curious about it. How did it feel to dump Sara in the desert? I bet it felt good!"

A smile crossed Natalies face.

"Let me ask you a question."

As Natalie didn't continue right away, Catherine lifted her eyebrow and gave her a questioning look.

"He didn't tell you about their relationship, did he? How did THAT feel?"

Damn, that woman was good. Instead of answering the question she went straight to the core of Catherines hurt feelings concerning the secrecy of the relationship between Grissom and Sara. But Catherine was too much of a professional to let Natalie know that.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Natalie wasn't to be fooled easily, though.

"I wonder how many months their little relationship was going on before he told you." She took a good look at Catherine. "Oh, wait. He didn't tell you at all. Am I right? He only told you after Sara went missing because he had to."

Catherine was boiling with rage within. But she tried her hardest not to show it to the woman on the other side on the table.

"I bet you've been friends for a long, long time. You trusted each other. At least you trusted him. And then he has this relationship with a co-worker and he doesn't even bother to tell you. Such a lack of confidence. That must have hurt you!"

The rational side of Catherine knew perfectly well why Grissom never had told her about his relationship with Sara, but emotionally speaking she had to admit that she was hurt about his distrust. And now Natalie came along and seemed to see right trough her.

For a moment Catherine played with the thought to deny everything Natalie had just said but then she had a better idea. She would play along. She would just keep her mouth shut and wait what that insane woman had to say furthermore.

To give her new plan more credibility her eyes filled with bitterness and she pressed her lips together as if to hold back ugly words.

Natalie seemed to believe Catherines careful display of emotions because she went on talking.

"Grissom really deserves that the person he loves most is taken away from him." She searched Catherines face for a hint of approval. Although she didn't find any, her monologue continued.

"He doesn't care about other people's feelings. All he cares about is himself. And that's why I had to take her away from him. It will teach him a lesson when she dies and he can't do anything about it.

Of course I could have just killed her without taking all that work on me. Without driving all the way into the desert. Without making my boots all muddy. But that would have been no fun. Now he thinks that he has still a chance of finding her when in fact, he will never find her in time. That is so much more fun. Don't you think?"

Catherine had seen and heard a lot of things in her life but this woman was one of the cruelest persons she had ever known. She tortured Sara just to get back at Grissom.

When Catherine didn't answer immediately Natalie became angry. All of a sudden she began to doubt Catherines companionship. She stood up.

"Okay, I have nothing more to say. This conversation is over." With that she directed herself to the door and signaled the officer standing outside the door that she was ready to leave.

The CSI was taken by surprise by the hasty departure of Natalie but she sensed there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Besides, her brain cells were running fast, she had to do research on something Natalie had said.

* * *

_I love you so much. Your absence is paralyzing me. Since you've been gone it's like a part of me is gone, too. I am shocked by that. I cannot let this go on like this. I am ashamed of what has become of me._

_When we decided to pursue a relationship we swore to each other that it wouldn't affect our professional life. We wouldn't let our private life interfere with work. And we made it. We lived two separate lives. At work they never even once suspected that we could be more than boss and employee to each other._

_But then Natalie came along and changed everything. Without realizing it I even let the others know how I feel about you. I broke our promise._

_And now I feel unable to do anything. But I have to remember what we swore to each other. Our private life, our feelings cannot affect work._

_And I have to remember who I am. It is so not me to be like this. To be helpless. For many years I have dealt with all the problems alone and now I will do it again. I know I can do it._

_I also have to remember that you are lying out there in the desert and need my help. What use am I if I am just sitting here crying?_

_For the sake of the promise we've made, for myself and for you I have to pull myself together. I have to look at this as if it were any other case. I cannot permit my feelings to darken my sight and to confuse my mind._

_If I let Natalies action have all the power over me, she has already won. I could never look into the mirror again if I don't fight with all my strength._

_And what would you say if you saw this helpless Grissom? This is for sure not the man that you fell in love with. That's not me._

_The past few hours I have permitted myself to be weak but now I have to be strong and rational again._

_My love for you is still the same, my thoughts about our past and future are not undone, when I find you I will still tell you how much I love you, but for now I will do what I always do: I will analyze the evidence and eventually it will lead me to the answer of the question._

_I already feel how my brain is starting to work. My rational sense is coming back._

_Something about this miniature in front of me isn't right._

_Honey, I think I have a clue …_


	6. The TeamGrissom

**Until I find you **

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer:** One week passed and CSI is still not mine. Damn.

**Spoilers**: Living Doll

**Summary:** In a run against time the team is trying to find Saras location out in desert before it is too late. GSR.

**A/N: **The computer I use now doesn't have a spelling program so there could be more mistakes than usual. Sorry.

Also, the Grissom part is very short in this chapter but after his revelation in the last chapter it wouldn't have been right to let him contemplate for hours again.**  
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* * *

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Catherine had just done research on the little thing she had been able to pull from the otherwise useless talk to Natalie. It was not much but she hoped that in combination with the findings of the other CSIs it would lead them closer to the spot where their co-worker was lying trapped underneath a car.

As she entered the room and heard the others, Warrick, Nick, Greg and Brass, already discussing the ongoing investigation, for the first time in the past few days a hint of hope rose within her.

"Ah, the senior CSI is here. Now we can start." Brass stated dryly.

Nobody mentioned the fact that Grissom, their supervisor, was missing. None of them had the courage to enter the semi-dark room and bother the CSI in charge, the boyfriend of the victim, before they had any positive results.

Nick put a big map of the Nevada desert on the table and for a few seconds everybody just stared in silence at the vast area that was now displayed on front of their eyes.

Brass was the first to speak again.

"Okay, let's start with the facts. Natalie was apparently dating a guy from a towing service. Which is too convenient to be a coincidence."

"All the more as the guy went missing the night before Sara disappeared. His tow-car, though, is in place and perfectly clean. Too clean because of an excessive use of bleach." Added Nick.

"And that's where my info is entering the game. I went to every gas station within 100 miles and called all the other stations. Only one has seen said tow-car." Warrick pointed his finger at a spot 90 miles north of Las Vegas.

"So it is safe to say that our crime scene is in that area." Catherine drew a big circle around the area surrounding the gas station. "That still leaves us with an area of approximately 15.000 square miles."

"Like I said before, the tow-car Natalie used was neat and clean. The only thing I could get of it were leaves from the tyres. I gave them to Greg to analyze them." Nick looked at Greg who nodded in approval. "And these leaves only appear in certain areas of the desert."

"And how do we know they are from Natalie and not from some prior use of the car?" Catherine was more than skeptic. They couldn't allow themselves to go into a wrong direction.

"I checked with the manager, the tyres were changes three weeks ago and since then they didn't have any tow job in the desert. So, our leaves are from Natalie and they appear here."

Nick marked 5 rather large areas within the circle Catherin had drawn.

"That narrows the probabilities down a lot. If we got 5 helicopters we could cover the area in one night. Or do we have any more leads?" Brass asked.

Greg wasn't sure if he should speak up but then he decided to let the more experienced CSIs determine if his information was relevant or not.

"I really don't know if this is important or not. I came across this when I was waiting for your results in the lab, so it could be totally stupid to even mention it."

"Greg, cut the crap. What have you got?" Warrick asked impatiently.

"Well, l was in the lab, I had nothing to do, so I entered Natalies DNA into the system and I found out that someone with very similar DNA to Natalie, maybe a close relative died in a car accident in the Nevada desert a few years ago. The guy died trapped underneath a car before the paramedics could get to him. They never found the perp. It was a hit and run."

Greg looked around to see the others' reaction. They seemed to acknowledge the relevance of the information.

Hoping that this didn't lead into a complete opposite direction Catherine asked "And where exactly did that accident take place?"

Greg marked a road 50 miles north of the gas station where the tow-car was seen.

"Nice job, Greg. I think we can now assume that the crime scene is in one of these three areas." Nick pointed at the three areas closest to the two reference points.

"We can narrow it even more down." Said Catherine and took a closer look at the map. "When Natalie talked to me she mentioned that she got her boots muddy dumping Sara in the desert. As it wasn't yet raining at that time she must have been in an area where there is mud. And according to that map, only here and here we can find mud." She pointed at two of the already marked areas.

The team took a minute to just look at the map. They had managed to narrow down the over 22,000 square miles of the Nevada desert to only two limited areas. All they needed to do now was split up into two teams and climb into the helicopters. The search could begin.

"I'll get the helicopters here." Brass said and pulled out his cell phone.

"Nick, Warrick, you take the helicopter with Brass. Greg, you're coming with me" She paused. "and Grissom in the other helicopter."

"We'll only need one helicopter." Sounded a voice from the entrance of the room. All the heads turned into the direction where their supervisor was standing.

"I took a good look at the miniature. And I saw something that we didn't see before. The car is on ground with slight inclination. Which means she is here." With that he put his finger on one area.

* * *

Although they only had one area to cover, they had decided to take both helicopters. Chances to find Sara fast were higher and also everybody wanted to be there when they found their missing friend.

Catherine sat in the first chopper along with Greg and a very silent Grissom. He hadn't talked much since his revelation earlier in the lab and now he seemed deep in though while he was staring out of the windows looking desperately for his girlfriend.

_Oh, my darling. We are coming. We are getting closer to you every second. Just hold on a few more minutes and we, I will be there to rescue you. Please hold on. Or is it already too late? I couldn't live with it if it was too late. No, I have to think positive. You are a survivor. You, of all people, have the ability to survive out here in the desert. I have confidence in your power. Honey, now you just got to have a few more minutes of confidence in my ability to find you because I am on my way._

And then he spotted something. Lying in the middle of mud in the pouring rain was the car that looked exactly like the miniature. Impatiently Grissom showed the pilot where to go down. As soon as the helicopter had landed, Grissom jumped out of it and ran towards the car. Already from afar he saw the hand lying in the mud. He threw himself onto the ground and grabbed the cold hand.

* * *

**A/N2: **First I want to apologize for this lame chapter. I just had to find a bridge between the last and the following chapter. Sorry. 

Cliffhanger? Yes. And unfortunately I have to tell you that this is the last chapter of this story. No, don't kill me, I will not leave you in the dark. It's just that this series is called "Until I Find You" and now he found her so the title isn't apropriate anymore. Apart from that, the whole story idea started with what is coming after that (is Sara dead, is she alive?) and so I decided to start a new story that will begin where this one ended. Plus for the following story, this story is not necessary, so please look for continuation of the story in a new one appearing soon. It probably will be called "The desert changes everything". Sorry for the trouble.


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